Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Addresses Jasson Dominguez Benching

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 7:08 PM ET

New York Yankees rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez has been a breath of fresh air to the ballclub this year. Through 99 games, the 22-year-old has 84 hits, 50 runs scored, nine home runs, 37 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 332 at-bats.

At this stage, every game is of utmost importance, and the Yankees are clinging to the final American League Wild Card spot, although the Cleveland Guardians are one game back entering Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Dominguez was once again absent from the Yankees lineup, marking the third straight game he was on the bench. The decision by manager Aaron Boone to bench Dominguez again had fans raising eyebrows and showing their frustration on social media.

Aaron Boone Speaks on Latest Benching

Prior to Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins, Boone spoke about not playing Dominguez in the starting lineup for the third straight game.

"J.D. is a big part of it. I know it's a few days he hasn't played. It's a little snapshot in a long season," Boone said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

The Yankees' starting outfield for the past few games has been Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton, with Aaron Judge slotting in as the designated hitter.

So, Wednesday marks the third straight game with the same outfield unit, and New York has won each of the last two games.

Dominguez's last start was on Sunday in a 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros, and Dominguez only had two hitless at-bats before being replaced by Stanton.

So, while fans are entirely happy about Dominguez riding the bench, the Yankees are winning games, in playoff contention, and still have a stellar group of outfielders.

The Yankees begin a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road on Friday, and it will be worth monitoring to see if Boone gives the rookie a start over the weekend.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: